Apparatus and method for loading loose-bulk cargoes



L. F. HOLLY APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOADING LOOSE BULK CARGOES FiledMay 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 9, 11929., L. F. HOLLYH,70,E7fi

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOADING LOOSE BULK CARGOES Filed May 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 4 r I J INVENTOR J Z. rim/ll 3 I ATTORNEY Patent Air. Q,

lL'UDWIG F. EQLLY, OF DIWRL'N BYSTEME, INCL, 0B NEW YORK,

an r... a clearance or HEWYQEK.

EY, ASSIGNOR 1'9 HQLLY PUMA'EIG PATUQ AND METHOD EUR JLQING EOOEEULK aram Application filed an i, was. smart. ieaeae.

In order to fill the remaining space in the hold, it is necessary totrim the cargo. This is now done by shoveling thematerial from under thehatch to all corners of the hold up to the deck. Qbviously, suchshoveling operations consume a great amount of time and labor, as only acertain number of men can be put into the hold, andthe steamers aretherefore, held or retained in port unduly lon 1% is the primaryobjectand purpose of my present invention to provide a novel method anda comparatively simple form of apparatus for accomplishing the samewhereby the time, labor and expense incident to loading such loose bulkcargoes into the holds of Vessels or steamers and properly trimming thecargo will be very materially reduced.

To the above end, the invention contemplates, in its broader aspects,the proper distribution of the loose bulk cargo material and moreparticularly of the upper trimming portion thereof within the hold'ofthe vessel under pneumatic pressure, and more particular- 1 I propose toeflect such distribution by the adjustment of the forcibly ejectedstream of material in both vertical and horizontal directions.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus forloading and trimming the cargo in accordance with my new methodembodying an improved constructionand arrangement of the material andcompressed air conduits and a novel form of ejecting nozzle connectedwith the lower ends of said conduits and having an adjustable outlet forvarying the velocity and trajectory of the stream of ejected material.

Additional objects of thevinvention are to provide improved means forcounteracting the severe forces of reaction incident to the use ofcompressed air as the ejecting medium, and the deflection of flowingmasses, to provide an improved construction :.,of the material and airconduits whereby the ejectin nozzle may be vertically adjusted in thehol of the vessel, to provide improved means for automatlcally swingingthe ejector nozzle horizontally from the lower ends of said condu ts andreversing the .direction of such sw nging movement, and to providesimple means tor removably supporting the apparatus 1n operativeposition on the hatch and connecting the same with a power unit car-.med by a separate vessel or bar e.

With the above and other 0 jects in View, the invention consists in theimproved method and apparatus for loading and trimming loose bulkcargoes,

and in the form, proport1on and relative arrangement of the severalparts of such apparatus, as will hehereinasfter more tully described,illustrated in the accompanymg drawings, and subsequently incorporated1n the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated one typical example ofapparatus for carrying out my new method, and in which similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a transverse sectional view through a vesselshowing-the-cargo loading and trimming equipment mounted in operativerelation therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially on the line2-2 of Fig. 3, and one of the ejector nozzles being shown partly insection;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged lower end elevationoi. certam parts of theapparatus, parts thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, the lower end of thtz1 material conduitbeing shown in section, an

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating an automatic damper arrangement forthe material and air conduits which is employed when a centrifugal airpump is used.

In the drawings, for purposes of illustration, l have shown a steamer orvessel, S

as my new method and apparatus is equally adaptable to various types orconstructions of such freight steamers 01" vessels.

A lower end section of the usual marine spout 5 is shown through whichthe material is fed by gravity from an elevator, bunker or other holdertherefor. The apparatus constituting part of the subject matter of thisapplication, as herein siown -1ncludes suitably spaced beams asindicated at 6,,

joint member 9 with the lower end of the spout 5, and these breachingtubes are respectively connected at their lower ends by the flexible orarticulated joints 10 with the upper ends of the spaced cargo loadingconduits 11. In the example of apparatus which I have selected forpurposes of illustration,"

the vessel S is provided with a longitudinally extending bulk head Bwhich divides the holds 1 and 2 into two sections, and the loading andtrimming equipment therefor in eludes duplicate parts for simultaneouslyloading and trimming the cargo in the two sections of the hold.Therefore, it will be understood that when the apparatus is arranged inposition on the hatch H, the loading conduits 11 which are suitablymounted at their upper ends between the beams 6 extend downwardly atopposite sides of the bulk head B.

An air conduit 12 is associated with each of the loading conduits 11 andis disposed in parallel relation therewith, said air conduits beinglikewise suitably mounted at their upper ends between the beams 6. Uponthe conduits 1 1, the sleeves 13 are telescopically engaged for verticalsliding movement and ,a flexible tube 14 is also telescopically slidableupon each of the air conduits 12.

An ejector nozzle 15 is connected at its rear end by a suitable swiveljoint with the tubular elbow 16 connected to the lower end of theflexible tube 14. The rear end of said nozzle is also provided with anupwardly extending branch 17 having a swivel connection with the lowerend of the tube or sleeve 13 connected with the loading conduit 11. Theweight of the movable parts of the up paratus is counterbalanced byweight or weights 18 connected with one end of the cables 19, the otherends of which are res ectively attached to the upperends of the s eevesor tubes 13. These cables are trained moeme over suitable pulleys20,1one of's aid pulleys having a shaft extension to which alargerpulley 21 ,is fixed over which an endless.

chain 22 is engaged. By moving this chain in the proper direction, theejecting nozzles 17 may be raised or lowered and the vertical poiiltionthereof properly adjusted in the For the purposeof filling the majorportion of the cargo by gravity into the hold of the vessel which may beproperly so filled therein, I provide each of the sleeves 13 adjacentits lower end and at opposite sides thereof with an opening 23 and eachof these openings is provided with an inwardly opening door or closure24 hingedly mounted at its lower end as at 25 upon the wall of thesleeve 13 at the lower edge'of the opening 26 and within this outlet endof the nozzle.

the vertically spaced plates 27 are pivotally mounted at their rear endsas at 28. To one end of the pivot rod or axis of the lower plate 27 alever 29 is fixed and is adapted for movement over a curved slotted arm30 fixed to the wall of the ejector nozzle, said lever carrying anadjustable clamping means 31 extending through the slot of said armwhereby the. lever may be fixed in various adjusted positions.

The upper plate 27 has an arm 32 fixed to one end of, its pivot rod oraxis and projecting rearwardly therefrom, said arm having an adjustablepin and slot connection 33 with one end of a link 34 which is pivotallyconnected at its other end to the lever 29. From this construction, itwill be evident that by adjusting the connection between the arm 32 andlink 34, the upper plate 27 may be independently adjusted. in the outletof the ejecting nozzle with respect to the lower plate 27 so that saidplates will bear a desired convergent relation to each other and thusdetermine the area between the forward ends of said plates to regulatethe discharge velocity of the material. By adjusting the lever 29 on thearm 30, the two plates 27 may be moved as a unit in the outlet end ofthe nozzle, thereby varying the inclination of the lower plate andchanging the trajectory of the ejected stream of material as may berequired in order to fill the farthest corners or spaces in the hold ofthe vessel.

Air is supplied under pressure tothe conduit 12 and the flexible sleeve14 through the rigid and flexible pipe sections or conduits 35, by meansof a suitable air compressor or arcane pump 36 operated by a power unit37 carried y the barge or other vessel V moored along side of thesteamer S to be loaded. It will, of course, be understood that in theillustrated embodiment of the apparatus, the air supply conduit has anarea substantially twice the area of the two conduits 12 which are connected therewith. Also, while I have shown only a single apparatus, itwill be understood that the arrangement illustrated might be multipliedfor simultaneously loading all of the holds of the vessel from a singlepower unit. 1

For the purpose of horizontally swinging the ejector nozzle 15 so as todistribute the stream of the cargo material to all corners of the hold,the said nozzle adjacent its rear end has a vertical spindle 38 fixedthereto rotat-- ably mounted in a bracket 39. This bracket is providedwith spaced diverging arms, in the ends of which adjustable screws 40are threaded for bearing engagement against one side of the longitudinalbulk head B of the I vessel, or against each other.

Upon the spindle 38 a gear segment 41 is fixed and meshes with a worm 42on the shaft 43. As herein shown, this shaft is driven by an electricmotor 44 and the gear 41 carries suitable reversing switch contactsindicated at 45 whereby the operation of the motor is automaticallyreversed to thereby reverse the rotational movement of the spindle 38and consequently the swinging movement of the ejector nozzle 15. It willbe understood of acourse, that the axis of the vertical spindle 38coincides with the vertical axis of the material feed .conduit 11 andthe telescoping sleeve 13. The forces of reaction created by the changeof direction of the pneumatically ejected stream of material aretransmitted to the brackets 39 and through the adjustable screws 40 tothe bulk head B. i The bearing screws 49 of the devices on oppositesides of the bulk head being in opposed relation to each other, theseforces are counteracted so that the apparatus will be maintained in astationary position relative to the bulk head, and to eliminateundesirable forces on the vertical chutes. It will be understood thatthe worm shaft 43 and motor 44 are suitably mounted upon the bracket 39.

F or the purpose of regulating the volume and velocity of the airentering the rear end of the nozzle 15 whereby the stream of materialmay be ejected to the desired distance, I provide in the rear end of thenozzle the adj ustable tongue or plate 46 pivotally mounted at one ofits ends and having a lever 47 connected therewith whereby said plate ortongue may be disposed in various angular positions to increase ordecrease the area ofthe air ingress opening to said nozzle. It will alsobe.

observed that in the adjustment of plate 46, the quantity of materialentering the nozzle from the sleeve or conduit 13 will be varied.

' In other words, as the velocity ofthe entering air blast is increasedin the adjustment of this plate, the quantity of the materialenterspectively, said conduits being preferably of s uare or rectangularform. These damper p ates are connected for simultaneous operation bythe articulated lever elements 50 provided with a counterweight 51. Whenno material, is flowing through the conduit 11, both damper plates areheld in closed position by the counterweight .51. As soon as the grainor other material enters the conduit 11, the weight thereof moves thedamper plate 48 to open position, and through the lever connections 50the damper plate 49 in the air conduit is simultaneously moved to its 0en position, thus permitting the air to iibw through the latter conduitwithout obstruction to the ejector nozzle. This damper plate arrangementoperatesto prevent overload of the power unit when no material isentering the ejector nozzle.

In the use of the apparatus above described, the loading conduits may beconveniently carried upon a suitable supporting structure provided onthe barge or other vessel V and lifted therefrom by a suitable hoist andplaced in proper position on the hatch H and in the hold of the vesselto be loaded. By operating the chain 22, the ejector spouts are thendisposed at the desired vertical elevation to insure a maximum throw forthe trimming layer of the material. After adjusting'screws 40 to tightenthe pressure plates thereof against opposite sides of the bulk head or aainst each other in case the hold is not divided by a bulk head, theclosures 24 are then moved inwardly to open position so that thematerial is loaded by gravity through the openings 23. During thisgravity flow of the cargo, the proper connections are made between theair pump 36 and the conduits 12. After the hold has been loaded for thegreater part of its capacity by gravity flow of the material, the airpump is started in operation so as to supply air under high pressurethrough conduits 12 and the flexible sleeves 14 to the ejector nozzles,and then the doors or gates 24 are closed. The circuits of motors 44 arealso closed by a suitable control switch so that as the material isejected through the nozzles at a high rate of speed by the air enteringthe rear ends of said nozzles, the latter are alternately swung back andforth in a horizontal plane so as to thus effect a more or less equaldistribution of the cargo material and fill up the remote corners orspaces of the hold. As the hold gradually fills up, it becomes necessaryto adjust the angle of the discharge control plates 27 to increase theheight of the throw of the stream such loose bulk cargoes is carried outin three successive steps, namely, the greater part of the cargo isloaded by gravity, then the outer side parts of the hold are filled andtrimmed by the distribution of the material under pneumatic pressure,and finally the s ace occupied by the trimming equipment is filed b thegravit flow of the material. Thus, am enable to materially. conservetime and labor in the filling of cargovessels, reducing the necessarynumber of men for such operation, so that it becomes possible to loadthe vessel and' permit its release from port in appreciably less timethan has heretofore been possible. i

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and severaladvantages of my resent 1mprovements will be clearly and ullyunderstood. While I believe t 1e apparatus as 11- lustrated in theaccompanying drawings is entirely practical for the purpose in view, itis nevertheless, possible that in so far as my new method is concerned,various other alternative forms of apparatus might be employed, and itis therefore, to be understood that such apparatus may be "exemplifiedin numerous other structural embodiments than that herein specificallydescribed, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to allsuch legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Iclaim:

1. In an apparatus for trimming loose bulk cargoes, a discharge nozzlefor the cargo material, means for feeding the maternal by gravity tosaid nozzle, means for rotatably supporting said nozzle at its rear end,means for supplying air under pressure to the rear end of the nozzle toforcibly discharge the material therefrom in a horizontally directedstream, means for swinging said nozzle in a' horizontal arcuate path todistribute the ejected stream of material uniformly to all parts of thehold of the vessel, and means for bracing the nozzle to counteract theforces of reaction occurring in the swinging movement of said nozzle.

2. In an apparatus for trimming loose bulk cargoes, a discharge nozzlefor the cargo material, means for feeding the material by gravity tosaid nozzle, means for supplying from in a horizontally directed stream,vertically spaced plates pivotally mounted at one of their ends in thedischarge end of said nozzle and between which the material isdischarged, means for adjusting one of said plates independently of theother to vary their angular relation to each other, and means foradjusting said plates as a unit in the discharge end of the nozzle tochange the angle of discharge of the material from said nozzle.

3. In an apparatus for loading and trimming loose bulk cargoes, avertical gravity feed material conduit, a vertical air supply conduit, adischarge nozzle, a telescoping connection between said nozzle and thematerial feeding conduit, a telescoping connection between the rear endof said nozzle and the air conduit, said connections between the nozzleand the conduits permitting vertical movement of said nozzle relative tosaid conduits, adjustable means for direct ing the gravity flow of thematerial into the hold of the vessel or into said nozzle, means forsupplying air under pressure to the rear end of the nozzle to forciblyproject the material horizontally from the nozzle to all parts of thehold of the vessel, and means for vertically adjusting said nozzlerelative to the conduits as the hold of thevesscl is filled.

4. In an apparatus. for loading and trimming loose bulk cargoes, asupporting structure adapted to be positioned over the hatch of thevessel, :1 material feeding conduit mounted in said structure, an airsupply conduit'mounted in said structure, a discharge nozzle, saidmaterial feeding conduit including a vertically slidable section havinga rotatable connection at its lower-end with said nozzle, and said airconduit including a flexible, vertically slidable section connected withthe rear end of said nozzle, adjustable means for dischargin thematerial by gravity into the hold of the vessel or permitting the sameto flow into said nozzle, means for vertically adjusting the nozzle inthe hold of the vessel, and means for supplying air under pressure tosaid air conduit to forcibly project the material from the discharge endof the nozzle into all parts of the hold of the vessel.

5. In an apparatus for loading and trimming loose bulk cargoes, asupporting structure adapted to be positioned over the hatch of thevessel, a material feeding conduit mounted in said structure, an airsupply conduit mounted in said structure, a discharge nozzle, saidmaterial feeding conduit including a vertically slidable section havinga rotatable connection at its lower end with of. said nozzle, adjustablemeans for discharging the material by gravity into the hold of thevessel or permitting the same to flow into said nozzle, means forvertically adjusting the nozzle in the hold of the ves sel, means forsupplying air under pressure to said air conduit to forcibly project thematerial from the discharge end of the nozzle into all parts of the holdof the vessel, and operatively connected damper plates arranged in saidmaterial feeding and air conduits normally disposed in closed positionand automatically moved to open position by the weight of the materialwhen fed into the material feeding-conduit.

6. In apparatus of the class described in combination with a dischargenozzle, a material conduit and an air conduit, both leading to thenozzle, of a valve in each conduit and means including a connectionbetween the valves by which the valve in the air conduit is adjusted inaccordance with the positioning of the valve in the material conduitunder the influence of the flow of material therein.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a discharge nozzle, a materialconduit connected to the nozzle, an air conduit also connected to thenozzle, a balanced valve in the air conduit, an unbalanced valve in thematerial conduit, and a connection between the valves whereby the airvalve is closed in absence of material flowing through the materialconduit and is opened by the flow of material in the material conduitacting upon the valve therein.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a

discharge nozzle, a material conduit connected to the nozzle, an airconduit also connected to the nozzle, a balanced valve in the air conduit, an unbalanced valve in the material conduit, a connection betweenthe valves whereby the air valve is closed in absence of materialflowing through the material conduit and is opened by the flow ofmaterial in the material conduit acting upon the valve therein, and acounter-Weight tending to move the valves to closed position.

9. In an apparatus for trimming loose bulk cargoes, a material feedingconduit adapted to be positioned vertically through the hatch of avessel andhaving a discharge nozzle at its lower end, means carried bythe lower end of said conduit for retaining the same in a stableposition relative to a part of the structure of the vessel, saiddischarge nozzle being connected with the conduit by means permitting ofthe lateral oscillation of said nozzle in a horizontal plane, means forejecting the material from the nozzle under pneun'iatic pressure, andn'ieans for oscillating said nozzle to uniformly distribute the ejectedmaterial in the hold of the vessel.

10. In an apparatus for trimming loose bulk cargoes, a material feedingconduit adapted to be vertically positioned through the hatch of avessel, a discharge nozzle and means connecting said nozzle with thelower end of the conduit to permit of the lateral oscillation of thenozzle in a horizontal plane, means for ejecting material from thenozzle under pneumatic pressure, a motor support carried by said nozzleand having means to engage a. wall of the vessel and retain the nozzleand feeding conduit in a stable position with respect thereto, a motoron said support, and means operatively connecting the motor with saidnozzle to oscillate the latter and uniformly distribute the material inthe hold of the vessel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

LUDWIG F. HOLLY.

